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Wild Animals/Squirrel Poop Mystery?

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Expert: Jonathan Wright - 3/2/2004


Question
I attend San Jose State University in California, a campus built in the middle of a big city. On campus, there are a LOT of squirrels everywhere, and you would probably see one every 20 feet you walked. Today I read a comic that cracked at joke at this \"How come there isn\'t squirrel poop just absolutely everwhere?\"

I never thought about that before, but I am curious now. I don\'t believe I have seen any droppings left behind by squirrels before; why is that?

Thank you.

Answer
Dear Victor

Thank you for your unusual question.

Squirrel droppings are very small - they are 5 mm long, about the same size as a raisin. They are also light brown and a similar colour to soil, so are hard to find. I should imagine that many of the droppings are trodden on before they are seen by people.

Generally speaking, tree squirrels leave their droppings anywhere, so there are not large concentrations of them, which people would be more likely to notice. Flying squirrels have a designated place where the droppings will accumulate, but I guess that the squirrels you are seeing on your campus are tree or ground squirrels and are not flying squirrels, which glide betwen trees and rarely descend to the ground.

Some squirrels may leave their droppings in hollow stumps - and I suspect there are not many people who look in hollow stumps, never mind people who look for squirrel droppings.

I hope that this answers your question - basically, the small droppings are so like soil-covered raisins that they don't really look like droppings at all.

All the best

Jonathan  

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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